“The precision strike weapon with Indian-made seeker flew in its designated trajectory and hit the target with pin-point accuracy,” she said.

A seeker guides the missile to its target.

BrahMos ALCM (Air Launched Cruise Missile), weighing 2.5 tonnes, is lighter than the land and sea versions of the missile which weigh around 3 tonnes, but is also the heaviest weapon to be deployed on India’s Su-30 aircraft.

So, the aircraft has been modified by the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to carry the weapon.

BrahMos is a joint venture between the DRDO of India and NPO Mashinostroyeniya of Russia.

The Su-30, considered the most potent fighter jet with India, was the choice for fitting the Brahmos missile, as it has a airframe of titanium and high-strength aluminium alloys, fit for a high-speed terrain following profile.

According to informed sources, the modification to the fighter includes hardened electronic circuitry to shield it from the electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear blast.

Along with the aircraft, the missile was also modified to make it carry a reduced booster and fins for stability.

The missile can be released from a height of 500 to 14,000 metres (1,640 to 46,000 feet). After release, the missile falls freely for 100-150 metre, then moving into a cruise phase at 14,000 metre and finally the terminal phase at 15 metre.